Hidden Lives
by DepressingGreenie
Summary: Being a secret superhero is hard, as is keeping that secret from your significant other. [Stony/Steve x Tony] #Secret Identities, #College/University AU, #Hurt/Comfort, #Cap-IM Holiday Exchange, (My gift for Community for the '2018 Cap-Iron Man Holiday Exchange')
1. Tony

The car jerks as it hits a pot hole in the carpark, an old one, maybe as old as the building itself… it had certainly been here longer than he had. Tony winces as the unwanted shift in momentum, his whole body aching with the pain from last night.

The Wrecking Crew had decided to attack a large bank, again, there was nothing to be said for the originality of villains like these. The Avengers had been called in to handle them. The battle was longwinded. Not for any talent on the Wrecking Crews part, but their strength and unwillingness to give in. He had taken quite a few heavy hits in the Iron Man armor… and he was feeling it.

He parks the car in his spot, does a quick check of his appearance in the rear-view mirror and then gets out with a groan. He quickly grabs his briefcase from the backseat and swiftly makes for the building, locking his car behind him.

Tony takes the steps of the school two at a time. He was late to work again. Whenever he is called out on Avengers business he is always late to work the next day. No matter how loud or obnoxious the alarm.

Renea from her spot at the front desk doesn't even look surprised when he rushes though the front door. She smiles in understanding, though she will never truly understand. "The dean isn't in yet, Prof. Stark, you're fine" she says.

Tony feels himself relax at the words. He gives her a quick smile and heads over to his office to put his stuff down before the staff meeting this morning.

The corridors are dark in the morning light, but calm and somewhat soothing. Without all the students milling about it takes no time at all the reach his office, even as he takes him time.

He walks into his office and the wonderful smell of coffee fills his senses as he puts his case down by his desk. A large red ceramic travel mug full of coffee sits on his desk, a post it note full of similes stuck to its side. He knows who was responsible, that man always seems to know when he was going to have a bad morning. Though to be fair they normally coincide with staff meetings and his late night work on personal projects. Or when he says he will be working late on his projects, instead of his secret life as Iron Man. But either way, trust Steve to both A) listen to him, rants and whining all, and B) be on time as to put the coffee on his desk.

The mug is still warm as he takes a long sip. He groans as the bitter flavor of the coffee hits his taste buds.

With mug in hand he wonders down the hall to where he knows Steve's office is. The door is slightly ajar, and he knows it was left open for him. Steve looks up from his notes with a smile as he slips inside his office.

"Hey, you" Steve greets. "Long night?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." Tony leans down give Steve a chaste kiss to the cheek before moving to take the seat across from him. "I think it would be slightly more beneficial in the long run if I diverted my efforts to developing an alarm clock that would actually wake me in the mornings rather than my current projects… but only slightly."

It kills him every time he has to lie to Steve like this. One day maybe he could reveal the truth, he only hopes that Steve would be understanding of him.

He leans back in the chair with a pained groan, his body reminding him of a practically good hit Piledriver had gotten in.

Steve looks at him with concern from across the desk.

"Hey, no. I'm fine, just too long spend bent over a desk working…" he says and Steve looks no less relieved. "I'd have much rather been bent over the desk by you"

Steve gets up from his chair with a playful scoff at his joke and moves behind him. Strong hands kneed his back and shoulders, making him feel like putty is the Steve's hands. Steve's wonderful wonderful hands. Tony moans appreciatively. There was nothing this man could do with his hands in his opinion.

There is a sharp knock at the door and they both look over. Prof Becker is standing there, watching them with a knowing look. "The meetings in five," she says before leaving.

"I guess we better get going" Steve says, removing his hands from Tony's shoulders. He sighs sadly. Steve gives his should a light squeeze in apology, "Maybe we could get dinner after work?" he asks.

"Sounds great" Tony says, getting up from his chair. Maybe he could get Steve to bend him over his desk actually. Now there was a plan.


	2. Steve

Steve stifles a yawn as he sits himself at his desk. Moving carefully he pulls out the notes from his bag, his everything hurt. Last night, while nothing the Avengers couldn't handle, was rough. He tugs at the cuffs of his long sleeve shirt despite knowing that his bruises were covered. The Wrecking Crew packs a punch, thought thankfully due to his enhanced healing all evidence should be cleared up by the end of the day or easily excusable by a small fall down some stairs.

He reaches over for his coffee mug and takes a long sip. He looks down at the mug with a smile. He had got Tony and himself matching mugs a little over a two years ago as an anniversary gift. He picked out a wonderfully bright hot-rod red for Tony who seemed quite drawn to the color and a deep blue for himself.

Tony was late again today. He knew he would be when he received the text saying he would be working late on his projects and that he would be unreachable. He didn't mind, he loved his partner and how passionate he was in his field. And he loved how happy it made Tony when he brought him in a coffee.

Actually, it was actually fairly convenient. As the Avengers had been called out to face the Wrecking Crew there would've been no way for Steve to answer any messages or calls Tony could have sent his way. It saved him from having to potentially find some sort of explanation as to why he dropped off the face of the earth for a few hours… and all the trouble that could lead to.

He hates having to hide such a secret from Tony. But how exactly do you brake it to your long-time boyfriend that you're 'Captain America'? And believably at that? One day he will tell him, he has to. And before horrible something forces his hands. He wouldn't want Tony to find him out by getting a call saying he is in hospital and in bad condition.

Steve sighs and tries to focuses on his notes in front of him. But he can't. He can't get the image of Tony at his bedside in hospital, looking down at him with such fear and hurt. He can't put Tony through that.

He hears the door to his office open an looks up to see Tony standing in the doorway with the coffee he got for him this morning. He smiles up at his partner, putting down his notes, "Hey, you" he greets him, "Long night?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." Tony gives him short but sweet kiss on the cheek before continuing, taking seat across from him. "I think it would be slightly more beneficial in the long run if I diverted my efforts to developing an alarm clock that would actually wake me in the mornings rather than my current projects… but only slightly."

Tony leans back in his chair and groans. Steve winces at the sound.

"Hey, no. I'm fine, just too long spend bent over a desk working…" Tony tries to assure him "I'd have much rather been bent over the desk by you"

But it doesn't work. Tony looks tired, he always looks tired after a long night of working on his projects. Some nights more than others. Last night seems to have been one of those hard nights.

He gets up from his desk and gets behind Tony. He runs his hands all over the man's back, massaging all the sore muscles. He is careful not to use all the strength he could on Tony's back, not wanting to hurt him. Tony groans in pleasure and he smiles proudly at being able to draw such sound from Tony both in and out of the bedroom.

A loud knocking at the door draws their attention away from one another. Prof Becker is watching them from the doorway, grinning at them. "The meetings in five," she says before he leaves them, presumably to head over to the meeting.

"I guess we better get going" he says sadly, he would rather be running his hands over Tony's back then sit a midterm review meeting. He removes his hands from Tony's back. His partner sighs in disappointment. He gives Tony's shoulder a quick squeeze. "Maybe we could get dinner after work?" he asks, hopefully. They had both been so busy lately, it would be nice to spend some time together. He wouldn't complain there was some sex down the line later.

"Sounds great" Tony says as gets up out his chair. Steve follows him out of his office, mind wondering off to tonight.

 _ **The End**_

* * *

 _ **Notes:**_ For the prompt: _"Everything is better with identity porn - especially tropey tropefic. Pick a well-loved fandom trope or cliche and add identity porn! Sex pollen? Fake dating or marriage? Genderswap? Some good-old-fashioned hurt/comfort? Identity porn ALL the things!"_

Identity porn + University/Teachers AU + Hurt/Comfort. I don't know if an AU counts as a trope so I added in some angst and hurt/comfort.


End file.
